The United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police has dismissed James Deller, the Chief Officer of its Special Constabulary, without notice after he used a police-issued work phone to capture intimate images of a woman.
Deller was dismissed following an accelerated misconduct hearing held on Friday, October 9, 2026, which found that he had used his official device to photograph images of a sexual nature on two occasions in July and August 2025. 
According to the Metropolitan Police, the images had been sent to his personal phone through WhatsApp’s “View Once” feature, which is designed to make photos disappear after they have been opened.
Deller subsequently photographed the images using his police-issued phone, transferred the copies back to his personal device and deleted them from the work phone.
His conduct was uncovered during Project Galatasaray, a Metropolitan Police operation targeting corruption and professional misconduct within the force.
Investigators used lawful business monitoring and Palantir’s Foundry system, which employs artificial intelligence (AI), to identify the images and other relevant evidence.
Following the hearing, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that Deller would be added to the College of Policing’s barred list, making him ineligible for future service in policing.
Reacting to the dismissal, Met Commander Pete Stevens said officers serving in the Special Constabulary were expected to uphold the highest standards of conduct.
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He said those serving as volunteers deserved leaders who demonstrated integrity in all aspects of their lives.
“SCO Deller failed to meet that bar,” Stevens said, adding that his actions amounted to an abuse of trust and undermined the standards expected of police officers.
The Metropolitan Police said it was also reviewing the future leadership and structure of the Special Constabulary as part of broader efforts to strengthen professional standards.
The dismissal comes amid increased scrutiny of police misconduct and the use of technology to detect wrongdoing within the force.
